The Importance Of Physical Activity And A Balanced Diet

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How does the modern American lifestyle make getting regular physical activity and a balanced diet difficult? How does this vary according to socioeconomic status? How does where you live impact your ability to get regular physical activity and maintain a balanced diet? What are some ways to overcome these challenges?

In our book “New Dimensions in Women’s Health”, it clearly states, “More than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese” (Alexander L.L). This number is the result of the American lifestyle, which makes it hard to get regular exercise and a balanced diet difficult. The major reason our lifestyle makes it difficult to achieve these two things is because we are stuck in our ways and change is very difficult.
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Cardiovascular disease risk factors include tobacco use, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and inactivity. On the other hand, risk factors that increase cancer include genetic, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, cigarettes, ultraviolet radiation, and age. To increase women’s awareness for cardiovascular risk factors and risk factors that increase cancer, we need to look toward ourselves, public agencies and community organizations. We ourselves can educate and research about these health problems. Even though we can educate ourselves, we sometimes don 't even think about it in the first place. So health care agencies can help by enhancing data, communicate with the public at a large, set policies, and creating awareness campaigns. Community organizations can also help bring awareness to women. They can organize a run to raise awareness to women about cardiovascular disease and caner. They can also make a petition and go around in their communities handing out brochures about these risk factors and have women sign it saying they will support …show more content…
In Alexander chapter ten, it discussed more so on cancer as well as some other conditions and how to diagnosis and treat it. On the flip side, our OBOS chapter discusses more on the emotional side and how to deal with these conditions. Within the OBOS chapter it talked a lot more about endometriosis, hysterectomy and breast cancer. A few thing that I saw that where not mentioned in Alexander was pelvic inflammatory disease, von Willebrand disease and DES (diethylstilbestrol). DES was the most shocking to read. OBOS explains, “DES is a powerful synthetic estrogen that crosses the placenta of pregnant women and can damage the reproductive system of the developing fetus” (OBOS). I believe this is an important concept because I have never heard of this till now and it explains that this drug was used to prevent miscarriages. This drug was used and pushed worldwide causing longterm and nonreversible effects. Reports showed that daughters with DES have problems including endometriosis, menstrual irregularities and pelvic inflammatory disease. For about 30 years this drug was used on roughly 4.8 million women and was untested

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